In a YouTube video released on Wednesday, Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi, a high-ranking commander of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), officially took responsibility for the Paris attack, warning the West to "stop your insults on our Prophet and sanctities," to "stop spilling our blood," to "leave our lands," and to "quit plundering our resources."
"Otherwise, by Allah, do not expect of us except tragedies and terror," the terrorist leader threatened. "You look for peace and stability but you will not find it because of the deeds of those carrying out martyrdom operations and heroes of lone jihad," he added.
Explaining why France was chosen for last week's horrific attacks, Al-Ansi stated that the country purportedly belongs to the "party of Satan," and it has "shared all of America's crimes. It is France that has committed crimes in Mali and the Islamic Maghreb. It is France that supports the annihilation of Muslims in Central Africa in the name of race cleansing," Al-Ansi declared.
Mocking Sunday's anti-terror march in Paris, attended by over 40 world leaders and dozens of top officials from other governments, al-Ansi stated that these were "the same who fought us in Afghanistan, [the] Caucasus, Gaza, the Levant, Iraq, Somalia and Yemen."
"Look at how they gathered, rallied and supported each other; strengthening their weakness and dressing their wounds," the terror leader stated mockingly. But "these wounds have not healed, and they won't, be it Paris, New York, or Washington or in London or Spain," he said, as a clip played showing the Twin Towers being hit during the 9/11, 2001 terror attacks in New York City.
At least one of the suspects involved in the Charlie Hebdo attack is said to have traveled to Yemen in 2011, Yemeni intelligence authorities have said, ostensibly to be trained by the AQAP terror group, Reuters had earlier reported. The Paris attack, which the propaganda video calls the "Blessed Battle of Paris," is said to have been planned years in advance, and financed by the terror group.
On January 7, Charlie Hebdo's Paris office was attacked by gunmen, who murdered 12 people and injured another 11. Two of the terrorists responsible for the attack were later shot by police after an extensive manhunt, and a third suspect turned himself in.
